Perryton tornado: 3 killed, dozens injured in Texas Panhandle storm

A tornado tore through the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton, killing three people, injuring dozens more and causing widespread damage as another series of fierce storms carved its way through Southern states.

The National Weather Service in Amarillo confirmed that a tornado hit the area shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday. Local officials said Thursday night that two people were missing.

Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said three people were killed, including at least one person who died in a mobile home park that took a “direct hit” from a tornado. Dutcher said at least 30 trailers were damaged or destroyed.

First responders from surrounding towns and cities and from neighboring Oklahoma descended on the town, which is home to more than 8,000 people and about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northeast of Amarillo, just south of the Oklahoma line.

Mobile homes were ripped apart and pickup trucks with shattered windshields were slammed against mounds of rubble in residential areas.

Perryton’s downtown area was also walloped. About two blocks of businesses were heavily damaged, including an office supply store, a floral shop and a hair salon along the town's Main Street. A minivan was shoved into the outer wall of a theater.

With a few hours of daylight left after the storm passed through, broken windows were being boarded up.

The Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Department said it would enforce a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. Friday because of downed power lines and other dangers that might not be visible in the dark.

[jeffphillips]

OMG, don't mention this to AOC she will want to ban them too

[oliviaflores]

Luckily, the tornado didn’t hit my town

[deborahgardner]

Everything happening on this Earth are warnings from Our Source, it’s not just America, but around the world, and described in scripture. Our Source is Creator of all things, this planet was created, you don’t think Our Source is going to let a man destroy it do you? Y’all need to stop with this climate change malarkey, and call it what it is, times of sorrow. And read the scriptures, because a lot of you will perish from lack of knowledge.

[ROGERJONES-jgxm]

TEXAS FLORIDA THE MOST RACIST .EVIL >. WHITESUPREMISTS PLACES ON EARTH >>>> WHAT DO U

[zanzillahsaruji]

Soon this place going to become a ghost town in America

[EngineBacon]

I was at home with wife and father on fordham street when it hit, no one gave any warning, the city apparently knew of extreme weather headed our way at 2:00pm, we got a notification on our phones 4 MINUTES before it touched down, if we were another block to the north all would have been lost, me and my father, wife and uncle all survived by 100 yards. The city failed us and many of us believe the same.

[allentyson]

I had no idea an ef2 could be that deadly or cause that much damage. I’ll definitely take this much more seriously now. This definitely puts ef5 damage in perspective.

[silentbutdeadly]

A tornado has plenty room to roam but it only goes str8 for the town an destroys everything on purpose . So who has the remote control cause it’s not Mother Nature . There is no Mother Nature

[topeeyesan]

ALL PRAISES TO THE MOST HIGH. JOB 2:9-10. AMOS 3:6. NAHUM 1:2-4. ISAIAH 45:7 DEUTERONOMY 32:39.

[JaseBrown]

One of the people that died was my cousin friend 😢

[daren]

These towns need to "Build Back Better", build back GREEN! A number of years ago a Mid-Western state had a city called GREENSBURG! They actually did decide to build back GREEN! Geodesic Fome houses are much stronger and can windstand very STRONG winds! And to quote Albert Einstein " The definition of INSANITY is doing the same thing over and over and over again expecting different results!"IMHO! 🤔🤔🤔🤔🇩🇪🇨🇭🇺🇲💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

[DeKKH]

Prayers for everyone affected. Especially the families of those who’s family member has passed 🌹

[menarussell]

Mobile homes are not houses. Mobile homes were destroyed.

A lot of other severe damage occurred, too. It's awful.

[eduardozuniga]

It got close to us we live in new hope tx have lived here 6 years that was the closest it gotten

[dentedcokecan]

So sad..I hope that all comes out OK can always rebuild...But can't replace the lives lost...Pls take care of each other we never know when our time comes..we are in this world together...❤Sending prayers to all affected 😢

[SwirlsDancing]

The first thing I thought when I saw the pic is that it is strange that the twister went up the street and destroyed the houses while it managed to avoid the huge open field behind the houses. Weird.

[RogerPeet]

Climate Change Climate Change Climate Change

[icecold]

Blame you Texas government, they are absolute idiots I left Texas because no Alerts waning system exist because the government Texas won’t fund them, see the worst safety, medical and education system on the USA, not to mention the highest
Property tax in the world13, 000 on a 200, 000 home

[SincerePraise-vfxd]

Texas under Judgment. Prelude to entire America.

[claraburnette]

Bless you all! So sorry for what you all are going thru❤️❤️🙏🙏